Molecules in Motion

TYPE: Short Activities
AUDIENCE: Ages 7 - Adult
TOPIC: Chemistry
In this activity, learners experiment with putting various objects in a small vacuum chamber and explore how the materials behave and change when the air in the chamber is removed.
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DESCRIPTION

"Molecules in Motion" explores how materials behave and change in a vacuum. Participants can experiment with putting various objects in a small vacuum chamber and then observing the objects as air is removed from the chamber. 

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  • Two learners and a caregiver smile as they observe a small toy in a vacuum chamber
  • A young learner and a facilitator load a squish toy into a vacuum chamber
  • Two learners and one facilitator attach a vacuum plunger to a small chamber with a squish toy inside
  • Family of three filling a small chamber with air with a small squish toy within
  • Two learners and a caregiver smile as they observe a small toy in a vacuum chamber
  • A young learner and a facilitator load a squish toy into a vacuum chamber
  • Two learners and one facilitator attach a vacuum plunger to a small chamber with a squish toy inside
  • Family of three filling a small chamber with air with a small squish toy within

DESCRIPTION

"Molecules in Motion" explores how materials behave and change in a vacuum. Participants can experiment with putting various objects in a small vacuum chamber and then observing the objects as air is removed from the chamber. 

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TRAINING VIDEOS

OBJECTIVES

BIG IDEA

An important part of the process of chemistry is to experiment and try different things over and over.

Chemists study how different materials behave and change, and how materials interact with each other.

LEARNING GOALS

  • Learners will develop positive attitudes toward learning about chemistry:

    • Learners will increase their feelings of interest in chemistry through observation of phenomena.
    • Learners will increase their understanding of the relevance of chemistry by exploring connections to everyday life.
    • Learners will increase their sense of self-efficacy related to chemistry through hands-on interaction and manipulation of the materials.

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TYPE:
Educational Resources
AUDIENCE:
Ages 7 - Adult
LANGUAGES:
English Spanish
ADDITIONAL TOPICS: Earth and Space Science Atmosphere Astronomy Earth, Moon and Sun Physical Sciences Chemistry States of Matter Materials Science
KIT: Browse kit
KEYWORDS:

Credits

YEAR CREATED
2018
PROJECT
OWNING INSTITUTION

Museum of Science, Boston

FUNDING

Developed for the NISE Network with funding from the National Science Foundation under Grant Number DRL 1612482. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.

PERMISSIONS

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US).
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DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

NISE Network products are developed through an iterative collaborative process that includes scientific review, peer review, and visitor evaluation in accordance with an inclusive audiences approach. Products are designed to be easily edited and adapted for different audiences under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike license. To learn more, visit our Development Process page.